Should You Launch a Catalog in Today’s Environment?
I love the process of how the price of gas has risen above $4 per gallon.
To greatly oversimplify the situation, part of it has to do with speculators driving the price of crude oil up. And, of course, there’s OPEC holding us over the proverbial barrel. Then there are the pundits on TV who have nothing better to do than tell us gas prices are going up. So what happens? We all get comfortable with gas prices going to the next level now that we’ve had it drummed into our heads — like the tail wagging the dog. And when it happens, we just accept it.
So, what does this have to do with starting a catalog in today’s market? Plenty. There are a lot of naysayers out there telling people it’s a bad time in the business world right now. And let’s face it: There’s plenty of evidence to support that.
But think about the flip side of the coin. This might be an opportunity to seize the moment and a market while others are reluctant to enter the fray. If you’re thinking of launching a catalog, consider the following questions/points:
1. Are mailboxes as crowded today as they were a year ago?
2. Due to that, can your catalog stand out?
3. Do you have the right product, at the right time? In short, now is a great time for products that help people in specific ways. People are still buying, but they’re more cautious on what products and services they spend on. If your product is relevant today, now is a great time to launch.
4. Sure, postal and paper costs are up, but don’t let that stop you. Vendors are looking for business. That means you’ll get extra service and, if you’re a good negotiator, extraordinary deals on producing a catalog.
- Companies:
- Gilbert Direct Marketing
- People:
- Jim Gilbert
Jim Gilbert has had a storied career in direct and digital marketing resulting in a burning desire to tell stories that educate, inform, and inspire marketers to new heights of success.
After years of marketing consulting, Jim decided it was time to “put his money where his mouth was" and build his own e-commerce company, Premo Natural Products, with its flagship product, Premo Guard Bed Bug & Mite Sprays. Premo in its second year is poised to eclipse 100 percent growth.
Jim has been writing for Target Marketing Group since 2006, first on the pages of Catalog Success Magazine, then as the first blogger for its online division. Jim continues to write for Total Retail.
Along the way, Jim has led the Florida Direct Marketing Association as their Marketing Chair and then three-term President, been an Adjunct Professor of Direct and Digital marketing for Miami International University, and created a lecture series, “The 9 Immutable Laws of Social Media Marketing,” which he has presented across the country at conferences and universities.
